ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit used College GameDay to call Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss the best in the country, hours before the sixth-year star leads the No. 7 Rebels into Austin against a No. 19 Texas team fighting for its season.

Herbstreit made the claim while previewing the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC. “Here comes Trinidad Chambliss, who we haven’t even really talked about, and he’s the best quarterback in the country,” Herbstreit said.

Herbstreit’s case for Trinidad Chambliss

The comment came as Herbstreit described the pressure on the Longhorns, who dropped consecutive 27-24 games to Oklahoma and Florida. “This is Texas backed into a corner after two 3-point losses. Everything’s at stake,” he said.

Two days after the Florida loss, Herbstreit said on his Monday show, “To me, their wiggle room is over.”

Chambliss has been Herbstreit’s answer to the best quarterback question for months. He called the Ferris State transfer the next face of college football during the preseason, and earlier this month on his Nonstop podcast he said, “There’s Trinidad Chambliss, who I would probably take over everybody.”

The Grand Rapids, Michigan, native built that reputation in 2025, when he threw for 3,937 yards with 22 touchdowns and three interceptions and led Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Ole Miss offense runs through Chambliss

Chambliss has completed 142 of 210 passes for 1,676 yards with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions this season, and he’s added six rushing scores. He accounted for four touchdowns in last week’s 31-3 rout of then-No. 13 Missouri, and Ole Miss coach Pete Golding offered measured praise afterward. “He wasn’t perfect either, but I’m glad he’s on our side,” Golding said.

The 6-foot dual threat has taken only five sacks, and Texas will chase him without edge rusher Colin Simmons and Richard Wesley. That leaves defensive lineman Maraad Watson, who has three, as the only Longhorn with more than one sack.

When would Texas turn to Lacey?

Herbstreit, who has the call for Saturday’s game, also raised the possibility of a quarterback change if Texas coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense falls behind early. “If you get down 7-nothing, 10-nothing, at what point, if it goes that way, if you’re Sark, do you go to KJ Lacey, who’s a very talented, Bryce Young kind of guy?” he asked.

Texas quarterback Arch Manning has thrown for 1,295 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions, and he’s been sacked 17 times. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Monday that redshirt freshman KJ Lacey Jr., a former Alabama Mr. Football from Saraland, would get more first-team reps this week.

Sarkisian kept Manning in place at his weekly press conference. “Arch can play better for us. He’s our starter. I need to see a better version of Arch Manning,” Sarkisian said.

After Ole Miss, Texas hosts Mississippi State, visits No. 22 Missouri and No. 18 LSU, hosts Arkansas and closes the regular season at Texas A&M.